A tragic mine collapse in Mali’s Koulikoro region has claimed multiple lives, as a landslide buried a group of women gold miners, officials confirmed on Thursday.
According to a statement aired on Malian national television, Colonel Lamine Kapory Sanogo, the region’s governor, explained that the miners were working inside an excavation when a surrounding dike gave way, causing water and mud to engulf them.
The incident occurred on Wednesday at an artisanal gold mine in southern Mali. While authorities confirmed several fatalities, they did not specify the exact number.
This latest disaster highlights ongoing concerns about unregulated gold mining in Mali, a country that ranks among Africa’s top three gold producers. Just last year, a similar mine collapse near the capital, Bamako, killed over 70 people.
Mali’s gold mining industry is a crucial part of the economy, accounting for over 80% of the country’s exports in 2021. The sector employs more than 2 million people, with artisanal mining contributing approximately 30 tonnes of gold annually—6% of Mali’s total production.
While illegal mining operations in northern Mali have raised fears of funding extremist groups, this recent accident took place much further south, closer to Bamako.